Metal parts frequently fail their intended use, due not only to fracturing but also to wear and abrasion, including mechanical wear (abrasion and pressure), chemical corrosion, and/or heat. Wear changes a metal part dimensionally and as such functionally. Processes are known for repairing worn metal parts where a durable material is adhered to the degraded surface. Similarly, a durable material may be adhered to a not previously worn surface which may be expected to experience wear. For metal components, this is commonly known as cladding or hard-facing, which can be defined as the application of building up wear-resistant material onto a part's surface by means of welding or joining. The cost of cladding is considerably less expensive than replacement costs and since cladding can be applied to a variety of base metals like: steel, stainless steel, nickel-based alloys, and copper-based alloys, it is widely used throughout industry today.
Previous methods and systems for cladding use a single electrode having a diameter sufficiently large to deposit cladding material at a cost effective rate. However, this typically results in deeper penetration and higher admixture. Other systems use strip cladding, which is inflexible and not applicable for use with a wide range of alloys. Moreover, the strip electrodes are costly to manufacture and use.